Beautiful banner by my HPFF bestie, zephyra. @ TDA
The Weasley Wedding was interrupted by Death Eaters, and now Harry, Hermione, and Ron are gone. Ginny is left to help clean up the mess of the wedding and carry on without Harry. This is what it feels like when the man you love leaves, and you have to stay behind and do what's right.

He’s gone. The words echoed around her head, sending her into a new wave of sobs every time its meaning truly clicked. He’s gone.

Always the strong, confident one, never unsettled by most of the things girls usually are because of the gaggle of brothers that came before her, Ginny Weasley did not understand the emotion that had blindsided her after the disastrous end of her brother’s wedding. When everything had settled back down after the assault from the death eaters, she had searched for hours for Harry. His departure was imminent and it was something she’d known about for weeks. Worry had been natural, of course; after all, she was the lone daughter of Molly Weasley. However, once he had finally descended into the maelstrom to hunt for a solution to the problem of Voldemort, the hole in her stomach filled with agony was a complete surprise and once again she was overcome with grief.

Independent, they called her. Almost a part of the three heroes of Hogwarts, but not quite. Most of the time, this distinction did not annoy her, but today it did. It meant she would have to stay here, going about life as though nothing was wrong, with every thought of him slitting more holes into her bleeding heart.

Sunlight shouted through the window, painting the walls wildly yellow, begging her to come outside and enjoy her last days of summer. Sprawled out on the patchwork quilt covering her bed, the light poured over her small frame and lit up her hair. He loved her hair when the sunlight hit it.

It was only a few small moments of intense grief, no more than ten minutes. But those ten minutes were excruciating and embarrassing, and she felt like a ridiculous romantic, pulled different directions by the realities of life and love.

Her face felt funny as salt from the tears dried up around her eyes. It was only this last time. If he could really find the answer he was looking for, really defeat Voldemort for the last time, there was an outstanding possibility that he could be hers forever, and they could lie in the sun for hours with no threats, horror, or worry. She wasn’t even sure what that would be like.

Sitting up to blow her nose, Ginny felt slightly better now that she had finally allowed the tears she’d been holding back for so long to fall. No, it wasn’t fair that he was taken once again, nor was it fair that she wasn’t entirely certain that he felt as strongly about her as she did about him.

Missing him every second of every day was the only option Ginny was faced with, but she would continue to live despite his absence. If this was going to be her role, she was going to play it with resolve and strength, holding up whatever fort was left until he returned. And when he did return, after the hugs and kisses and tears, she’d give him a good hex for leaving without saying goodbye, no matter the circumstance.

It was the life that she was choosing to live- the life of the past/future girlfriend of Harry Potter. It would be lonely from time to time, but the rewards far outweighed the pain of his absence. And with that, Ginny stood up, brushed the wrinkles out of her robes, and went downstairs to help her mother clean up the mess left from the wedding.

**
A/N: I wrote this small blurb about 2 minutes after my husband left me for 4 months to go to a temporary duty station, as he is in the military. It is so much pain, but I know he's doing something good, and I have a part that I also have to play. I identified with Ginny in this instance, especially being called strong and independent, but even through all the toughness, there is still that constant ache in the back of my stomach, and everything threatens to crash down.

This story is dedicated to all the military wives out there, who deal with deployments much longer than 4 months.